arranged marriage « niam

«chapter two»

chapter two

Niall's nervousness got the best of him. He knew that it was too late for him to jump out of the car and feign some sort of illness. According to his parents, this had been set up for months. As much as he wanted to at least get out and start pacing around, his father sat down in the driver's seat and started the car.

"Dad? Why exactly do we still do this? You know, the whole arranged marriage thing?" Niall asked uneasily. He knew that the whole topic was something sensitive, since Greg pulled out.

"It's a tradition, Niall," Bobby huffed. "I don't like breaking tradition, whether you and your kids do it is your idea."

"How do you know I'll even want kids?" Niall huffed right back. Why would his father ever just assume that he wanted kids?

"Niall, you're one of those rare males that can have kids. I'd just assume that you want your own biological kids," his father rolled his eyes. Maura opened the passenger side door and sat down, oblivious to the tension between the men.

Being able to get pregnant was not new news to Niall. As soon as his parents felt he was old enough to have the (unneeded) sex talk, they spilled the beans.

Niall felt frozen as they pulled in the restaurant parking lot. He didn't want to move from the car. "Do I have to go?" He whimpered to his mother. Sadly, Maura nodded.

"It's time for you to meet him, dear. He's a lovely boy." She tried to lift her hand up to Niall's hair, to stroke it and console the boy a bit, but Niall stopped her.

"I spent too long on my hair. Sorry, Mum," Niall said weakly. Maura nodded and got out of the car. Niall followed her hesitantly.

"It's just us and the boy's family, Niall. No reason to be nervous."

-

Niall was nervous. In fact, he became even more nervous when he stepped into the restaurant to find ten chairs at a table with no one else around. It was only the horan's there; Greg had even met them at the place, without denise.

"Hey, bro!" Greg greeted him, pulling his younger brother into a hug. "I can't believe they pulled you into this. You could have just thrown a hissy fit like I did." Greg grinned as he pulled away.

"I never would have found a guy on my own, anyway. I just figured why not. What's the worst that can happen?" Niall gave a brave smile, begging Greg not to answer and make his fears even worse. Greg just grinned right back at him and led Niall to the seat right beside him.

They had already ordered their food by the time the other family waked in. Somehow, he wasn't even surprised to see the Payne's. It was Niall's luck. The boy who hated him would end up being his husband. Liam, however, looked surprised to see a glum Niall sitting beside his brother.

"I thought you said I would like him, Mum!" Liam whispered in panic. He really didn't care if anyone heard him. "I don't like Niall!"

"Have you ever actually given Niall a chance?" His mother questioned with an eyebrow cocked. Liam shook his head slowly.

"Well, no..."

"Then how do you know you won't fall madly in love with him, sweetie? Go sit beside him." Karen Payne shoved her boy to the empty seat beside Niall.

"Good, now that we're all here," Bobby said in a tone that demanded everyone's attention. "The Payne's can order and we'll talk about the boys' furture in the meantime."

-

Niall stopped paying attention the second after the Payne's finished ordering their food. He was stuck in his own little pity world. Why did it have to be Liam, of all people? Liam hated him! He never wanted anything do to with Niall. Even sometimes when he got made at him, Liam would beat him! Niall didn't want a marriage like that. And he could have voiced his thoughts, but he didn't want to get Liam in trouble.

"-And we've got the house all ready paid for!'' Were the words that brought Niall back into the real world. They have a house, just for Niall and Liam?!

"What!" Niall sputtered. "You bought us a house? Don't you think that's a little much?"

"Of course not! You two will be getting married in three months time. It's not too much!'' Karen promised. Greg leaned over to Niall.

"It won't be that bad. Just don't get pregnant," he whispered. Niall choked on his own spit, heaving and coughing and causing Liam to whack his back a solid time to make him stop.

(Niall found that for the second Liam had his hand across Niall's lower back, he loved it.)

"Thank you," Niall murmured when he finally regained his breath.

The rest of the dinner went along smoothly. Niall didn't have anymore coughing attacks, even though half the time he felt like he was having an asthma attack. He even had to ruffle through his mother's purse to find his inhaler and set it on the table, just in case.

And just to make things even better (and by better, Niall meant worse), as they walked out into the parking lot, Liam hauled a bag out of his parents' car and looked at Niall with emotionless eyes. That's when the blond knew Liam was staying the night.

"Use protection, little bro," Greg whispered again to Niall. That time, he really did have to take his inhaler out of his front right pocket where he had placed it and use it. Maura ran over to him with a worried expression on her face.

"Are you okay, darling? Do we need to go to the hospital?" She panicked. Niall had had asthma attacks before, sure. But none just out of the blue like this.

"Fine... Mum..." Niall wheezed, leaning a bit on the Payne's car to catch his breath. "Just give me a minute."

When Niall had recovered enough to not feel so lightheaded anymore, Bobby, Maura, Niall, and Liam all got into the same car and headed towards the Horan residence.

•-•

wow

my bum hurts

that was really unplanned

my dad has been making me feel like shit lately and i dunno what to do

so why don't you tell me something about your day???

i like hearing about how other people's lives are going

#ohnonialler

#badgreg

1089 words

(13/07/14)